How to Drip Faucets in the Winter: Everything to Know

Allowing a small water drip from your faucet can save you from frozen pipes and thousands of dollars in water damage. A drip doesn't always prevent freezing, but with water moving through your pipes, ice is less likely to form. There’s also less pressure in your pipes, so they’re less likely to burst if they freeze. Learn when and how to drip faucets in your home and whether you should drip hot or cold water.

Know When to Drip Your Faucets and Prep Your Home 

Knowing when to drip a faucet can prevent frozen and burst pipes if you turn on the correct faucets before or soon after the temperature drops.

Watch the Temperature

If temperatures will be below 20 degrees Fahrenheit for at least three hours or your power goes out in the winter, plan to drip your faucets. Ideally, you want to drip your faucets before the cold strikes, or within the first two hours.

Even if the inside of your home doesn't fall to 20 degrees, pipes located in unheated areas such as the basement, attic, garage, and crawl spaces—or in exterior walls with minimal insulation—can still freeze.

Ready Your Home and Pipes for Freezing Weather

Besides dripping a faucet, it’s important to prep your home for cold temps and possible power outages to ensure your pipes don’t freeze and burst. While dripping a faucet can prevent freezing, there are other steps you should take to prevent frozen pipes.

Based on your home, its unique vulnerabilities, and insulation, here are some ways to ready your home and pipes for freezing weather:

• Close your garage door if you have water supply lines in the garage.

• Open your kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to surround your pipes and plumbing. Remember to keep toxic chemicals and cleaners down there out of reach of children and pets.

• Keep your home's temperature at 55 degrees or warmer, even if you’re not at home.

• Winterize your outdoor faucets.

• Insulate indoor and outdoor water supply lines and pipes, especially in unheated areas such as the basement, attic, crawl spaces, and garage.

• Consider adding insulation on exterior walls with pipes.

• Drain your swimming pool and water sprinkler supply lines before winter.

Avoid Common Faucet Dripping Mistakes 

Dripping your faucets is simple, but there are a few mistakes that could leave your pipes vulnerable to freezing:

• Dripping hot water only: Remember that cold water pipes are more likely to freeze. If you only drip hot water, your cold pipes will remain at risk. 

• Not dripping enough faucets: Dripping just one faucet may not protect your entire plumbing system. Be sure to drip faucets in each area of your home, especially those connected to pipes in exterior walls or unheated spaces. 

• Closing cabinet doors: If your faucets are dripping in your kitchen or bathroom, keeping the cabinet doors open allows more warm air to circulate around the pipes. 

• Dripping too much water: A slow, steady drip is all you need. Leaving your faucets running with a heavy stream is wasteful and unnecessarily increases your water bill. 

• Forgetting to check for freezing pipes: Even with a drip, your pipes can still freeze, especially in extreme weather conditions. Check them regularly for signs of freezing, such as reduced water flow or strange sounds when using the faucet. 

Remember that dripping your faucets won’t always prevent freezing, but it can minimize the risks when done right. 

Drip Faucets Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro

You can drip faucets yourself without hiring a plumber, as the project requires no tools and takes five minutes or less. If you think your pipes have frozen or burst, leave the drip on, turn off your home’s water supply at the main shut-off valve, and contact a local plumber. A plumber will inspect and repair your pipes, helping you avoid flooding and costly water damage.